Leading Democrats back Biden but admit it was a ‘bad night’

Democratic Party leaders quickly and unequivocally ruled out the idea that President Biden would or should resign after his shaky performance at the first presidential debate. But there was a palpable sense of anxiety on Capitol Hill Friday morning about what it would mean for his campaign and their own re-election chances.

“We have a great team of people who will help us govern,” said Rep. Ro Khanna, Democrat of California and an official Biden deputy in charge of reaching young voters. “That is what I will continue to strive for.”

When asked if he could vouch for the president, Mr Khanna said only: “I can vouch for our policies.”

Representative Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat and former speaker of the House, acknowledged that “from a performance standpoint, it wasn’t great.” But, she added, “from a values ​​standpoint, it far outshone the other guy.” Ms. Pelosi, a longtime supporter of Biden’s candidacy, said she did not believe Biden should step aside as the party’s presidential nominee and that she was not aware of anyone pushing him to do so.

“I don’t do it, and I don’t know anyone who does,” she said.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat of New York and House Minority Leader, also said he did not think Biden should step aside, despite increased concerns about his age and ability to do the job.

Still, Democrats said they were concerned not just about the White House but also about their prospects for regaining control of the House of Representatives and maintaining control of the Senate. On Friday morning, many Democrats quickly walked into the House chamber to dodge questions from reporters.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, the Texas Democrat who worked the spin room in Atlanta after the debate, declined to answer questions from reporters at the Capitol, while Rep. Adriano Espaillat, Democrat of New York, gave a curt “no comment” when asked for his reaction to Mr. Biden’s debate performance.

Representative James E. Clyburn, Democrat of South Carolina and a key ally of Biden who helped him secure the nomination in 2020, quickly ran into the chamber; Later, when cornered, Mr. Clyburn told reporters: “That was Strike 1. You always get three strikes.” He said he planned to contact the president later in the day and that his message to Mr. Biden would be: “Stay the course.”

Republicans, who had suggested that Mr. Biden was taking performance-enhancing drugs before the debate, shifted to a stance of sadness for the state of the country under a visibly elderly leader. Many Democrats, on the other hand, sought to shift the focus to Mr. Trump’s geyser of lies and venality.

“I look forward to a conversation about Donald Trump,” said Rep. Veronica Escobar, Democrat of Texas. “When he talks about countries emptying their asylums and prisons and he describes immigrants in that way, it’s absolutely disgusting.”

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Democrat of Washington and chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said Trump “wants to destroy our democracy and be a dictator on Day 1, and we’re all focused on whether Biden has a cold.”

And Senator John Fetterman, Democrat of Pennsylvania, said his own disastrous debate performance during his 2020 Senate campaign, when he was in the early stages of recovery from a life-threatening stroke and struggling to speak coherently, left him empathetic and optimistic made about Mr. Biden’s ability to overcome a bad night.

“Just the way everyone panicked so quickly and piled on really broke my heart,” he said in an interview. “A rough debate is not the sum of the kind of person you are, the kind of candidate you are and the record you have.”

Still, some urged the White House to do more to address the president’s inability to communicate a clear reelection message. Representative Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said this was “a huge problem” that Biden officials needed to address.

The 81-year-old Mr. Biden trailed the 78-year-old Mr. Trump in many swing-state polls heading into the debate, and Democrats were optimistic about a chance to show Mr. Biden as something other than the frail, diminished caricature that Republicans have tried to paint. On Friday, some were still simply shocked.

“I’m still processing what happened last night,” said Rep. Angie Craig, Democrat of Minnesota. “It was a terrible debate, we all have to acknowledge that.”

Catie Edmondson And Jennifer Medina contributed to the reporting.